There’s a lot to love about trading cards, but even with this appeal, they haven’t always been the most popular. The popularity of card trading has ebbed and flowed over the years, and in the last decade, it’s made somewhat of a comeback. There are a few reasons why card trading has made a comeback this decade, and they all work together to make card trading seemingly more popular than ever.

Overall Nostalgia

One of the biggest factors behind the resurgence of trading cards in the last decade is nostalgia. Nostalgia is a powerful force, and it’s everywhere. You can find nostalgia wherever you look, including:

• Food
• Fashion
• Movies
• TV shows
• Video games
• Sports

Trading cards and trading card companies may not have capitalized on this nostalgia, but the consumer certainly has. There’s something fun about finding a card you had as a kid, and it reignites a passion. Another positive that makes nostalgia so powerful in the digital age is people can pursue those nostalgic feelings.

The Internet

People can pursue these nostalgic feelings much more easily in this digital age, with the internet being so popular and widespread. Without the internet, someone would feel nostalgic about their cards from when they were kids, maybe buy a new pack at the store, and then move on. With the internet, you can talk about card trading with tons of other people and easily buy and trade those cards. The internet and popularity are powerful tools, and right now, trading cards are incredibly viral.

Mobile Games

Before the age of the internet and mobile games, to play trading card games, you had to get the cards yourself, build your decks, and go out to play against people. It was a lot of fun, but there was a big time and financial investment if you wanted to get serious. In today’s age, you can play these games online without needing to purchase the cards yourself. It’s helped make games like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering more popular. As those games grow in popularity, many players also want to get the cards that go with them. Some will play the game with them, but others simply want to collect cards from a game they love.

Financial Investments

Trading cards in today’s age are also a big financial investment. You can buy newer cards with little value, but card collectors are more into buying older vintage packs and boxes. These older cards have a greater value because of their rarity and condition, and many people view them as a sound investment. An autographed card or a PSA-10 is worth a lot now, but it will only be worth more later. This mindset and the ease with which you can buy and sell cards have helped trading cards make a huge comeback.

Card trading has made a significant comeback this decade, and it’s interesting to think about where it will be in another decade. More people are trading cards than ever before, and more people are also picking up the hobby. If you want to start your own trading card collection, check out JRI Cards. We have all the cards you could ever want, including sports cards packs, so you can kick off your hobby with a bang!